Heel-covering apparatus



April 4, 1933- L. J. BAZZONI 1,903,278

HEEL COVERING APPARATUS- Filed Dec. 50, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l WvEA/TUR;

April 4, 1933- L. J. BAZZONI HEEL COVERING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 50, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 30, 1929 Ap 4, 1933- L. J. BAZZONI HEEL COVERING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 30. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 4, 1933.

L. J; BAZZONI HEEL COVERING APPARATUS 30, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 126 r. H 605 $5 wm Filed De'c Patented Apr. 4, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEWIS J. BAZZONI, OF SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY HEEL-COVERING APPARATUS Application filed December 30, 1929. Serial No. 417,423..

This invention relates to heel-covering apparatus and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for applying to a wooden'or P other heel, a cover of sheet material such as 0 leather, fabric or the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved apparatus for applying covers of sheet material to heels smoothly, securely and rapidly, without danger of marring or damaging the covers, which are often made of delicate or tender material.

With the foregoing in view, the invention provides, in an organized machine, the novel combination of a heel support with means for supporting a spread-out heel cover above a heel upon said support and means for effecting relative approaching movement between the heel support and the cover support to apply the cover to the heel. In the illustrative machine herein disclosed the heel sup port is adapted to reciprocate vertically and is arranged to receive and position a heel with its breast facing downward, said heel being maintained in position by gravity. Mechanism is also provided for moving the heel support upward to cause the heel to engage the spread-out cover supported above it.

In connection with the application of the cover to the heel an important feature of the invention resides in the provision of cover applying members or tools so related to the cover supporting means and the path of movement of the heel support that the cover, after the heel is brought into engagement with it, is applied smoothly and accurately to the surface of the heel. To this end a plurality of, cover applying tools may be arranged in spaced relation to permit a heel topass between them, a single means for adjusting said tools equally toward or from each other being provided to accommodate heels of different sizes. 7

The cover applying rolls, as shown, are yieldingly mounted and a feature of the invention is to be recognized in a cover appiying member comprising a roll mounted for universal bodily movement to adapt itself to the inclination of the surface of a heel to be cov- 0 cred. In the accompanying drawings each for movement about axes at substantially I right angles to each other.

In order to secure the utmost perfection in the appllcation of the cover to the heel while minimizing the danger of damaging or mara heel by a combined rolling and drawing action. This superlor action upon the cover is produced in a' preferred form of the inven tion by a rolling cover applying member having a friction surface such, for example, as rubber and means for resisting rolling'movement of said member. As shown, a brake engaging the shaft of the cover applying roll provides the necessary resistance to rotation of the roll to produce the drawing action upon the covering material, although it does not resist rotation of the roll sufficiently to, cause the roll to wipe over the surface of the covering material. 'Said surface, therefore, is not subjected to any rubbing action and is not liable to be marred as it would be by a wiper.

In a more highly developed form of the invention provision may be made for maintaining tension upon the spread-out cover while it is being applied to the heel. In an illus trated modification of the machine heel cover applying grippers are provided for this purpose, the grippers being, in a convenient arrangement, so located between the heel supportand the cover applying tools that the grippers may seize and hold the cover under tension while the heel is being forced into engagement with it.

To this end, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, means is preferably provided for automatically closing the grippers yieldingly upon the spread-out cover during the early part of the movement of the heel support toward applying position so that they exert a considerable pull upon the cover as it is being applied. I r

The above and other features and advantages of the invention will be better understood and appreciated from reading the following detailed description of certain good, practical embodiments thereof in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying the invention in one form;

Fig. 2 is a view of the machine in front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section upon the line IIIIII of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views showing two stages in the cover applying operation;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a heel to which a cover has been applied by the machine;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the manner in which tension is applied to a heel cover by the mechanism shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view upon the line IX-IX of Fig. 7.

The illustrated machine is designed to be placed upon a table or a bench and comprises a base portion 10 from which arises an upright portion 12 upon which base and upright portions the moving parts of the machine are supported and guided. Power for driving the machine is derived from any suitable source, as an electric motor 16, coupled to a worm shaft- 18 upon which is a worm 20 meshing with a worm gear 22 secured to a coun ter shaft 24: to which is also secured a pinion 26. The pinion 26 meshes with and drives a gear 28 mounted upon a shaft 30 to which is secured by a pin 32 a crank disk 34 having mounted therein a crank pin 36 operatively connected by a connecting rod 38 to a slide 40 which is vertically movable in guideways 42 formed in the upright 12. The connection between the machine and its source of power is controlled in any suitable and well-known manner by a treadle rod 4 1.

Rigidly secured to the slide 40, and projecting forward therefrom, is a bracket 16 upon which is supported a block 48, a tongue and groove connection between the block and bracket permitting the block to be adjusted forward or rearward to the desired operating position. Mounted upon the block 48 is a heel support comprising a cradle 52 having a circular lower face seated in a corresponding depression in the top of the block 48. This construction provides for rocking adjustment of the heel support 52 in a vertical plane to any desired angle to accommo' date the particular type of heel to be operated upon. The heel support or cradle is provided with a rest 54.- to receive the breast face of a heel and with an abutment 56 arranged to be engaged by the attaching face of the heel and to support and position the latter. slot 58 (see Fig. 1) is formed in the cradle 52 to receive the upper end of a bolt 60 having a transversely disposed pin 62 which engages in arcuate openings 6 through the sides of the cradle. The lower end of c i 60 is threaded and provided with a nut 66,

Q in the purpose of which is to draw the bolt downward and clamp the cradle in angularly adjusted position. Vhen the nut 66 is loosened the cradle may be angularly adjusted as desired, and the nut may even be turned up only lightly, leaving the cradle capable of self adjustment under the pressure applied to the heel supported thereon. The dash lines 68 in Fig. 3 indicate a heel in its normal position upon the cradle or heel support At 70 are shown arms which carry he heel cover supporting means and the cover applying tools. The arms 70 are mounted upon pivots 72 supported in upright blocks 74 bolted to the base 10 and are connected by a right and left screw 76 to which is secured a knurled disk 78 by which the screw may be turned to adjust the arms 70 toward or from each other.

The upper ends of the arms 70 are provided. with pivots 80, upon which. are hung yokos 82, each of which is provided with a bearing 8% for a short shaft 86 to the end of which is secured a carrier 88 having alined bearings 90 in which is journaled the shaft 92 of a cover applying tool consisting of a roll The rolls 94 have friction surfaces, being preferably covered with soft rubber, to give the desired drawing action upon the heel cover and being capable of yielding sufficiently to conform to the shape of the sides of the heel to be covered.

The yoke 82 moves freely about the horizontal axis of the pivot 80 and the carrier 88 moves freely about the inclined axis of the shaft 86, which is at right angles to that of the pivot 80, but rotation of the shaft 92 in its bearings is frictionally resisted by a brake J6 bearing upon an enlarged portion 98 of the shaft 92 and tightened or loosened as desired by a screw 100.

Secured to each carrier 88 is a heel cover supporting member 102 having a slot 10 i which is open toward the front of the machine to permit easy insertion of a heel cover by the operator. The slots 104 are disposed above the level of the heel support 52 and below the level of the cover applying rolls 94: so that a stretched-out cover may be supported in the slots in position to be engaged by a heel upon the heel support and forced upward between the cover applying tools.

In addition to the adjustment of the positions of the arms 70 provided for by the right and left screw 76, provision is made for independent adjustment of each applying tool carrier 8% toward or from the vertical central plane of the machine. As previously described, each yoke 82 is movable about its horizontal pivot 80. Each of said yokes is also provided with ears 106 in which is pivoted the inner end of a rod 108 surrounded by a compression spring 110, the outer end of the rod being threaded and provided with an adjusting nut 112, by the adjustment of which the position of the cover applying tool 94 relative to the arm 7 0 may be varied, while always permitting the applying tool to yield against the tension of the spring 110.

While minor adjustments of the rolls 94 independently of each other may be made by means of the nuts 112 an important function of said nuts is to adjust the tension upon the springs 110, the principal adjustment of the spacing between the rolls being accomplished by adjusting the arms by means of the screw 76.

For positioning the rear edge of the heel cover there is provided a gage 114 secured by a set screw 116 in the slide 40. The shank 118 of the gage is horizontal and by loosening the set screw 116 the gage may be adjusted forward or rearward to suit the requirements of the work. For the purpose of varying the position of the bracket 46 at the lower limit of its stroke the slide 40 is adjustably connected to the rod 38, as shown in Fig. 3. A wrist pin 120 engaged by the upper end of the rod 38 is adjustable in guides 122 in the slide 40 by means of ascrew 124 manipulated by a knob 126. The screw 124 is vertically immovable relatively to the slide member 40 and is threaded through the pin 120, whereby rotation of the screw will vary the vertical position of the slide relative to the pin. V

In the use of the machine, which normally stops with the heel support down, in the position shown in the drawings, a heel 68, to which cement has previously been applied, is placed upon the heel support 52 as shown in Fig. 3; A cemented heel cover is then stretched smooth and inserted, cemented side down, in the slots 104 of the cover supports 102. The machine is now caused to operate through one cycle during which the heel support rises, forcing the heel into engagement with the cover and upward between the rolls 94 by which the cover is smoothly applied to the heel, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5; the cover being held stretched by thefingers of the operator until the heel has reached at least the position shown in Fig. 4. WVhen the heel reaches a position above the cover applying rolls, as shown in Fig. 5, it is removed by the operator and appears as shown in Fig. 6, the heel support descending to initial position ready for the reception of the next heel to be covered.

By reason of the double or universal pivotal mountings ofthe cover applying rolls they are permitted to assume positions conforming to the shape of the heel being covered and by reason of the yielding nature of the material of the rolls the heel sinks into them more or less with the result that the cover is thoroughly pressed against the heel and the marginal portions of'the cover are bent around the corners of the heel, as shown in Fig. 6. The drag upon the cover produced by the friction brakes 96 acting upon this end the arms 70 are provided with fixed gripper jaws 130 and movable arms 132 pivoted to the arms 70-at 134. Compression springs 136 tend always to move the arms 132 upward, the tension upon the springs being adjustable'by means of screws 138. 1

In the inner end of each arm 132 is journaled a rubber covered gripper roll 140 provided with a spring pressed friction brake 142 similar, to the brakes 96. The tension upon the brakes 142 may. be regulatedby adjusting screws 144 which back up the springs. Normally, in the stopped position of the machine, the arms -132are held slightly depressed, with the gripper members 130, 140 sufficiently separated to permit the insertion of a heel cover therebetween, by vertically slidable pins 146 (Fig. 9) engaging lugs 148 projecting rearward from the arms 132, said pins being depressed by projections 150 upon the slide 40. Assoon as the' slide begins to rise the pins 146 are'raised by the force of the springs 136 and the grippers close upon the end portions of the cover. As theheel support 52 continues to rise the heel engages the cover, which is stretched tightly, as shown in Fig. 8, before it reaches the cover applying rolls 94, the amount of stretching force'applied to thecover being determined by the tightness with which its end portions are held by the grippers which,--

in turn, is determined by the tension upon the springs-136 and the brakes 142. In any event this tension should not be sufficient to tear the heel cover.

The remainder of the operation of this modified form of the machine is the same as that previously described except that the pro- 1. In a heel-covering apparatus, the com-' bination of a heel support, means for. supporting a spread-out heel cover above a heel upon said support, mechanism for effecting relative movement between the heel support and the cover support to apply a portion of the cover to the heel, and means constructed and arranged to engage the cover during a continuation of said movement to apply other portions of the cover to the heel.

2. In a heel-covering apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a heel in a definite position, means for supporting a spread-out heel cover above, and in a definitely predetermined relation to, a heel upon the heel support, and means for effecting relative movement between the heel support and the cover support to apply a portion of the cover to the heel, and means constructed and arranged to engage progressively the outside face of the cover during a continuation of said movement to apply other portions of the cover to the heel.

3. In a heel-covering apparatus, the combination of a vertically reciprocable support constructed and arranged to position a h eel, a support arranged to receive and position a spread-out heel cover above said heel support, mechanism for reciprocating the heel support to cause a. portion of the cover to be applied to said heel, and cover-applying tools spaced apart and yieldably movable away from each other under pressure of the heel to permit the heel to pass between them and constructed and arranged progressively to engage the cover at opposite sides of the heel to wipe the same around the sides of the heel during continued movement of the suport.

p 4. In a heel-covering apparatus, the combination of a vertically movable heel support upon which a heel is adapted to be positioned breast face downward and maintained by gravity, means for positioning a spread-out heel cover above a heel upon said heel support, means for moving the heel support upward to cause the cover to be applied to the rear part of the heel to cause a portion of the cover to be applied to said heel, and cover-applying tools spaced apart and yieldably movable away from each other under pressure of the heel to permit the heel to pass between them and constructed and arranged progressively to engage the cover at opposite sides of the heel to wipe the cover around the sides of the heel during continued upward movement of the support.

5. In a heel covering apparatus, the combination of a vertically movable slide, means carried by the slide for supporting a heel with its breast facing downward, means for supporting a stretched-out heel cover above the heel, means for moving the slide upward to move the heel into contact with the cover, and friction rolls constructed and arranged progressively to engage the cover to wipe the same around the sides of the heel during continued upward movement of the slide.

6. In heel covering apparatus, the combination of a vertically movable slide, means carried by the slide for supporting a heel with its breast facing downward, means for supporting a stretched-out heel cover above the heel, cover applying tools above the cover supporting means, and means for moving the slide upward to move the heel into contact with the cover and the heel and cover past said cover applying tools.

7. In a heel covering apparatus, the combin ation of a plurality of cover applying tools spaced apart to permit a heel to pass between them, and a single means for adjusting said tools equally toward or from each other to ccommodate heels of different sizes.

8. In a heel covering apparatus, the combination of spaced apart, yieldingly mounted cover applying tools, means for adjusting said tools equally toward or from each other, and additional means for adjusting each tool independently toward or from the other.

9. In a heel covering apparatus, the combination of a plurality of cover applying tools spring pressed toward each other and spaced apart to permit a heel to pass between them, means for adjusting said tools toward or from each other to accommodate heels of different sizes, and means for varying the spring tension upon the tools to meet the requirements of diiferent kinds of work.

10. In a heel covering apparatus, a cover applying member comprising a roll mounted for universal bodily movement to adapt itself to the inclination of the surface of a heel to be covered.

11. In a heel covering apparatus, a cover applying member mounted for movement about axes at substantially right angles to each other to permit said member to adapt itself to the inclination of the surface of a heel to be covered.

12. In a heel covering apparatus, a heel cover applying tool, and a heel support comprising a cradle having a surface adapted to receive the breast face of a heel, said cradle being mounted to rock about an axis transverse of the hee to permit the heel to be presented with its rear face approximately parallel to the tool.

13. In a heel-covering apparatus, a cover applying member constructed and arranged to apply a cover to a heel by a combined rolling and drawing action.

14. In a heel-covering apparatus. rolling cover applying member having a friction surface, and means for resisting rolling movement of said member.

15. In a heel-covering apparatus, a cover applying member comprising a roll having a friction surface, and a brake arranged to resist rotation of said roll.

16. In a heel-covering apparahs, a cover applying member comprising a rubber surfaced heel cover engaging roll, and a friction brake engaging the shaft of the roll.

17. In a heel-covering apparatus, the combination of a heel support, cover applying tools constructed and arranged to exert a combined rolling and drawing action upon a heel cover, and means for effecting relative movement between the heel support and said tools.

18. A heel covering apparatus having, in combination, a vertically movable support constructed to maintain a heel in a definite position, grippers located above the support and constructed to hold a heel cover in a definitely predetermined relation to said heel, tools positioned above the grippers, and means for moving the support upwardly past the grippers and the tools, said tools being constructed and arranged progressively to apply the cover engaged by said grippers to the heel as the heel is moved past the tools.

19. In a heel-covering apparatus, the combination of a heel support and normally open heel cover grippers, said support and grippers being capable of relative movement, means for eflecting relative approachin movement of the support and grippers, an

means for automatically closing the grippers during the early part of said approaching movement.

20. In a heel-covering apparatus, the combination of a vertically movable heel support, normally open heel cover grippers above and at both sides of said support, means for moving the support upward between the grippers, and means for closing the grippers yieldingly during the early part of the upward movement of the support.

21. In a heel-covering apparatus, the combination of means for gripping the end portions of a heel cover, cover applying tools constructed and arranged to exert a combined rolling and drawing action upon said cover, a heel support, and means for efiecting relative movement between the heel support anc} the gripping means and cover applying too s.

22. A heel covering apparatus having, in combination, a member constructed and arranged to support a heel and friction rolls mounted for relative movement, said rolls being yieldably mounted for movement away from each other to permit them during said relative movement to apply a heel cover to the heel.

23. A heel covering apparatus having, in combination, a heel support, a heel cover positioning member, friction rolls yieldably movable away from each other, and means to move the support to cause a heel mounted thereon to engage a cover upon said member and to pass between said rolls to cause the same to apply the cover to the heel.

LEWIS J. BAZZONI.

24. A heel covering apparatus having, in

combination, a heel support, members constructed and arranged to position and to grip a heel cover, friction rolls normally urged toward each other and yieldably movable 

